Rotary engine.



ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLKCATION FILED JAN-27,1916.

Patented Aug. 7, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

In/mmr 1. T. DICKSON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.27. 19m.

Patent-ed Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

tures of my rotary on ball bearings 19 on the crank shaft,

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JAMES 'l. DICKSON, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EIGHTHROBERT "WATCHORN AND SEVEN-EIGHTHS T0 F. WINSTANLEY, H. P. HITOI-ICOCK,AND WILLIAM E. BROWN, ALL OF LOS .AI IGELES, GALIFORNIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 191?.

Application filed January 27', 1916. Serial No. 74,612.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. DICKSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines,of which th following is a specification.

- This invention relates to a rotary or rotating gas engine or likerotating or circularly arranged machine; and particularly to themechanical structure of such an engine and an arrangement for coolingit.' Certain other features of the structure herein shown, beingparticularly the mechanism; for distribution and supply and control offluid to the work cylinders are the particular sul ject matter of myapplication S. N. 74,613, filed January 27, 1916.

It is an object of this invention tb provide a simple and strong rotaryor circularly arranged structure in which the parts are securely heldtogether; and at the same time to provide a structure in which aircooling of the cylinders may be readily ei' fected. The details of myinvention, and a preferred form thereof, are explained in theaccompanying s 'iecification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in Which Figure l is a central radial section of my improvedengine, Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1,Fig. 3 an elevation, partly in section, as indicated by line 33 on Fig.2, and Fi l is a detail section taken as indicated by ine l4 on Fig. 1.I

I shall explain briefly the essential feaengine, and then explain inparticular the features of the present invention. I employ a suitablecentral crank case 10 from which a plurality of compression cylinders 11radiate. Mounted upon the outer ends of the compression cylinders arethe Work cylinders 12; and a trunk pis ton 13 operates in each of thecompression and work cylinders. The pistons are connected by rods 14with a central connecting rod bearing 15 on crank pin 16. The details ofthis connecting rod hearing need not herein he explained. The crank pin16 forms a part of the crank shaft 17, which crank shaft may be suitablystationarily supported in any manner, as by supports 18 shown in Fig.The crank case 10 may be mounted passage Each of these port from theport 21 parts, may freely revolve.

F or each cylinder there isa valve chamber or casing :20 with aninduction port at 2i to which explosive mixture is fed through manifoldpassages from a central ieed valve chambers has a cylindrical valve 2adapted by its lllUl/Ulllellttl) (.OllllUCll alternately with theinduction port 21 and with an inlet port .20 which leads to the bottompart of the work cylinder 12, to be uncovered by the piston therein atthe end of its work stroke. Also communicating with the ports 26, andwith the ends of the valve cl'nnnbers, I provide an annular endlessnfessurc chamber 27 common to all the cylinders and valves. The valves2% are actuated from an eccentric 30 on the crank shaft; and are movedin such relation to the piston that the larger end of the crank piston,in the large cylinders 11, becomes a means oi drawing in a chargethrough the and then compressing that charge back through the port 25into the compression chamber 27, whence the charge flows into thecylinders 12. EX- haust ports at 31 are also uncovered by the pistons inthe work cylinders. h

Having now described the general features of my rotary engine, I shallproceed to the description of the particular invention herein involved.It will be understood that the peculiar rotary engine or other structure hereinbefore described is not an essential of the presentinvention; as the invention hereinafter set forth may be applied to anystructure of that kind having a circular arrangemento'f parts, and, morespecifically, adapted for rotation.

This particular invention has to do with the structural assembly of thecylinders and the-means for holding the outer cylii'ide s- 12 upon theinner cylinders 11 (that is, j erally, the mcans'of holding the radialcj inders in place), and an improved means for cooling the workcylinders.

It will he noted that each of the work cylinders is seated at 40 intoand on the outer end of a compression cylinder. The fitting is so madethat the work cylinder is held in proper alinei'nent, concentric withthe compression cylinder. Now, the means or holding the Work cylinderradially in a compression port 25 toward and on the compressioncylinders (which compression cylinders form apart of the inner rotatingframe of the engine) inders.

is embodied in one or more annuli of suitable metal extending around andbearing inwardly upon the cylinders 1.2. In the present caselprefertoemploy a pair of said annuli in the form of annular plates 50, one oneach side of the cylinders, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each of thecylin- .ders is provided with oppositely disposed sloping shouldersbl,as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and the. iln'ier peripheries of the plates50 are shaped to bear upon said shoulders; each set of said shouldersbeing collectively arranged upon a common circumference so that theplates may bear equally upon each of the shoulders. -The workeylinders'firmly upon their seats, but

is also a very strong means of holding the work cylinders againstdisplacement from tl1ei. \(,seats and, against outward movement due fcentrifugal action. plates 50 possess great strength; and for u acylinder to be forced or to fly loose it is necessary that one or bothof the plates be ruptured, which is not likely to occur.

I "The annular plates not only function in the mechanical structure ofthe rotary mechanism; but they also perform a duty with reference to theair cooling of the work cyl- It has heretofore been dillicult to coolcylinders of a rotating engine or the I like due to the formation of lowpressure pockets and eddlesm the air behind each of the cylinders;causing the cylinders to be cooledon their forward facesand not to becooled outheir rear faces. I cool the cylinders of my engine with airimpelled centrifugally. When the engine is in operation the air wlnchenters laterally in the open spaces 60 between the cylinders is i.thrown outwardly by centrifugal action be tween the cylinders andbetween the plates 50. The side plates here perform the function ofconfining the outward or radial movement of the centrifugally impelledair. Now, in order to direct this centrifugal flow of air next to thecylinders, I place deflectors 61 between the adjacent cylinders andbetweenthe plates 50, preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 1, andextending completely from one plate 50 to the other.

These deflectors 61 are preferably mounted upon bolts or rods 62. beingmade of sheet metal bent to somewhat the configuration The annular shownand-then slipped into place over the bolts or rods, pressing resilientlyagainstthe rods. It will be seen thateach of the delleetors has two sideportions 61 which are close to the adjacent cylinders and more or lessapproximately parallel to the cylinder walls; so that the outwardlymoving current of air must move in touch with the heated cylinder walls;and this is just as trueof the rear sides of the cylinders as of theirfront sides. It'will be seen that the air which is thus centrifugallyimpelled through the rotating mechanism is entirely free from thedisturbing influence of the outer atmosphere, so that there is no ten--dency to form eddies behind any of the cylinders. The inertia of the airwill, of course, tend to make it drag behind the rotation of the wholemechanism and will tend,

more" or less, to throw it toward the following cylinder rather thantoward the preceding cylinder; but the sectional areas of the passages65 between the deflectors 61. and the cylinders are restricted so thatthe air is forced through all the passages 65 in sufficient quantitiesto thoroughly cool the cylinders on all sides. It will also be'notedthat there are spaces between the plates 50 and the cylinder walls;clearly shown in Fig. 2; so that the outwardly moving air may contactwith the lateral sides of the cylinders as well as with the front andback sides. The total cross-sectional area of the passage around onecylinder is not greater,

and may be less, than the cross-sectional'i area of the openings leadingto andthrough a space 60; so that the air current drawn into thestructure is sufiicient to fill radial passages and leave no pocketsWhere there is no circulation.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a rotary engine or thelike, a rotating frame, a. plurality of radial cylinders arranged in asingle-plane of rotation on said rotating frame, a pair of annularplates one on each side of thecylinders, and members formingair'passages between the annu-' lar plates and adjacent the cylinders. I

2. In a rotary engine or the like, a. rotating frame, a plurality ofradial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation on said rotatingframe, a pair of-annular plates one at each side. of the cylinders andsecured thereto, and sheet metal air current deflectors extendlng acrossthe space between the annular plates and between the cylinders to directthe outwardly moving current of air be-.- tween the plates against thecylinders.

3. In a-rotary engine or the like, a rotat in; frame, a plurality ofradial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation on the frame,each cylinder havlnglateral shoul-- ders and opposite sides, and meansfor hold mg the cylindersainwardly on the frame em bodylng a pairof'annular plates parallel to site sides of each cylinder, a pair ofannuthe frame.

lar plates one on each side of the cylinders fitting over the slopingshoulders, and means to draw the plates upon the shoulders to force andhold the cylinders inwardly on 5. In a rotary engine or the like, arotating frame, a plurality of radial cylinders arranged in a singleplane of rotation seated in said rotary frame, sloping shoulders onopposite sides of each cylinder, said shoulders being coll livelyarranged in circular formation on e ch of the opposite sides of thecylinders, a pair of annular side plates fitting over the slopingshoulders one on each side of the cylinders, bolts for drawing saidplates inwardly toward the cylinders and over the shoulders, there beingopen spaces between the cylinders inside the inner periphery of theannular plates, and air current deflectors arranged between thecylinders to direct the outwardly flowing current of air' against thecylinders.

6. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a plurality ofradial cylinders arranged in a single plane of rotation seat- .ed insaid rotary frame, sloping shoulders on opposite sides of each cylinder,said shoulders being collectively arranged in circular formation on eachof the opposite sides of the cylinders, a pair of annular side platesfitting over the sloping shoulders one on each side of the cylinders,bolts for drawing said plates inwardl toward the cylinders and overthe'shoul ers, there being open spaces between the cylinders inside theinner periphery of the annular plates, and air current deflectorsarranged between the cylinders to direct the outwardly flowing currentof air against the cylinders, air deflectors each embodying a singlepiece of sheet metal in each space between adjacent cylinders, saidmetal extending from plate to plate and having end portions near thecylinders extending approximately radially.

7. In a rotary engine or the like, a rotating frame, a plurality ofcylinders projecting substantially radially therefrom, there beingspaces between the cylinders at their inner ends in communication withthe surround ing atmosphere for ingress of air, and means formingoutwardly extending air passages adjacent the cylinders communicatingwith said spaces at their inner ends, the spaces between the cylindersand intermediate said passages being closed to outward passage of theair.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 14th day of January 1916.

J. T. DICKSON. Witness:

Enwoon H. BARKELEW.

